Chetumal

Chetumal (meaning "Place of the Red Wood") is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

The city is situated on the western side of Chetumal Bay, near the mouth of the Río Hondo. Chetumal is an important port for the region and operates as Mexico's main trading gateway with the neighboring country of Belize. Goods are transported via a road connecting Chetumal with Belize City to the south and also via coastal merchant ships. Because of its location on the Caribbean coastline, it is vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Two hurricanes in the 1940s leveled the entire town; Chetumal was devastated a third time in 1955 by Hurricane Janet. After this, the town was rebuilt with more solid construction, with concrete blocks replacing wood as the usual material.

There are many archeological sites near Chetumal and they're relatively close to each other. Ride the Bulebuzz and see the city. Bulebuzz is a small bus that runs down the Avenida Héroes to Boulevard Bahía, which it covers fully. Reef diving and snorkeling: the city itself does not offer diving but you can go to Mahahual to dive and snorkel with access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

This is a year round holiday destination blessed by a balmy weather (in the 20s celsius), though August and September can be hotter and more humid (into the 30s). Some cruise lines have ships based here all year while others base ships here for the September to April period before moving them to Alaska or Europe.


General Information:

Population: 151,243 (2010)
Language: Spanish; English, Maya, Creole, Lebanese, Arabic
Currency: Peso (US dollars sometimes accepted)
Time zone: CST (UTC−6) • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC−5)